MÁK Restaurant: Flavors and Traditions

Gábor Koltai: We are showing the characteristics of Hungarian regional cuisine by going clockwise. We are currently in the East, and the typical flavors of the menu are eggplant, sorrel, spicy paprika, gray catfish, pine or fuszulyka. We like to come up with surprising things, unexpected pairings, flavors that we know well, but have disappeared from our diet or have transformed over time. Fuszulyka is one of them, which is currently among the desserts, which is special because we rarely encounter beans at the end of the menu. It is very important to us that the menu tells a story, which is also the story of all of us somewhere.

How should you imagine the creative process when putting together a new menu, how do you find the most important ingredients?

Gábor Koltai: Before preparing each menu, we receive serious help in mapping out the ingredients of the given region. Our work is supported by specialists who specifically deal with finding the producers of the given region.

János Mizsei: We travel together, get to know the producers, look at the ingredients available. Then I select the eight main ingredients that we want to focus on. From there, the exciting process begins, when we unravel and analyze these. For me, it's about identity, tradition, and recalling memories. I find that younger generations experience less of the regional experiences, they receive less from their grandparents. It would be nice to preserve these stories and ingredients, I think I feel like this is my task.

Could you highlight a few dishes from the menu that best characterize the flavors of the eastern region?

Gábor Koltai: Since the goal is not only to map Hungary, but also the entire Carpathian Basin, we also draw from Transylvania for the eastern region. Our milk pie, caviar, and spicy paprika dish, as well as our dessert made of fuszulyka, cocoa, and plums, perhaps represent the eastern identity most strongly. Transylvanian cuisine plays an important role in this menu, which is why we also kept the Székelyföld name for the bean.

What is the MÁK signature catch and what is its history?

János Mizsei: I hung out at the two-Michelin-starred Kadeau restaurant in Copenhagen, and the whole environment really inspired me. I saw how bravely they work with different ingredients, how they bring vegetables that have been somewhat neglected to life with different methods. Once, when I was walking the streets, I suddenly came across beets, which are also such ingredients in Hungary. The combination of beets and smoke started to excite me, and from there I started experimenting with how to give the food a lasting smoky taste. It has been on the MÁK menu for many years now. We simply cannot let go of this smoked beet dish, it has become so much a part of us. I love that we can show an exciting side of the vegetable that everyone knows, that one would not expect. We play with textures, with temperature – frozen grated horseradish accompanies the dish. Horseradish is also part of the Transylvanian identity, you can find quality ingredients there that you don’t find anywhere else.

Considering how underrated beets are, what do you think will be the next ingredient that will cause such surprises, and would you be interested in experimenting with it?

János Mizsei: We will soon move to the next direction, and I am very excited about what we will encounter in the south. For a while, I thought that the next exciting ingredient would be rice, because it is also grown in Hungary, but we will see what the future brings.

It is becoming increasingly common to request juice pairings alongside wines as an accompaniment to tasting menus. What does the MÁK beverage program look like?

János Mizsei: Since more and more people are looking for non-alcoholic beverages, and fermentation plays an important role in the restaurant's profile, we knew that we had to start dealing with this line as well.

Gábor Koltai: We developed the juices together with Anja Skrbinek, head of the fermentation bar program at the three-Michelin-starred Slovenian restaurant Hisa Franko. We met them during a visit there, and their non-alcoholic drinks were impressive. With her help, we made kombuchas, juices, or our drink reminiscent of the classic Bambi, but made exclusively from natural ingredients. As we get to know this world better, we move more and more boldly in it.

Have you seen any changes in guest demand recently?

Gábor Koltai: There is no going to a restaurant without an experience. I see that people go to a restaurant to have fun, to relax, and they want to be able to absorb a complex story. In addition to good food, you need a pleasant, non-intrusive environment and a team of experts who are readily available throughout the evening. If someone decides to come to us instead of ordering dinner, they should be fully appreciated and respected. They should be highly appreciated for being curious about what we do. That is why it is important for the menu to have a story, to invite you on a special journey.

Business manager Botond Csernák, who previously worked in the best restaurants in the world, joined the MÁK team this spring. What knowledge has his knowledge brought to the life of MÁK?

Gábor Koltai: Botond Csernák previously worked at Alchemist and the three-Michelin-starred Frantzén, he is an extraordinary professional. Once, when he was still working at Alchemist, he visited MÁK during his vacation, and he really liked the restaurant concept and the atmosphere of the place, and we also really found common ground with him. Later, something quite interesting turned out: we also have a serious personal connection, because as a child I spent a lot of time with his father at the Csiky Gergely Theater in Kaposvár. When our former store manager left, I asked Botond if he knew anyone who would be happy to take over the job. It turned out that he himself would be interested in the matter. Originally, he had not planned to move back to Hungary, but he was very enthusiastic about MÁK, he saw great potential in it. And since then, his presence has given MÁK a lot of advantages. Botond is very professional, has an incredible sense of people, communicates flawlessly, and "resonates" exactly with who needs what, or how much space they need. He contributes greatly to ensuring that guests receive the kind of experience I mentioned earlier.

You mentioned the collaboration with Hisa Franko, have foreign restaurants had a motivating and inspiring effect on you?

Gábor Koltai: Many restaurants have influenced us, for different reasons. For example, Milka in Slovenia helped us rediscover an ingredient that was almost forgotten in Hungary: the Danube salmon, which is called 'Danube salmon' in English because it belongs to the salmon family. We rarely or never encounter this fantastic predatory fish in the Danube, but in the south, for example, in the Danube catchment area, there is plenty of it. It is a native, yet almost unknown ingredient: just the kind we like. We are still looking for the source of supply. We hope that we will find the right source during our trip to the south.

I think Noma is very inspiring for anyone who works with a lot of vegetables. Also, János worked at Daniel Berlin's former restaurant for a while, we even had an evening together, with a shared menu here in Budapest. His work had a fantastic influence on us too.

János Mizsei: Many smaller and larger restaurants have an impact on you, inspiration comes from just going out to dinner somewhere, and it stimulates your creative energies.

Recently, there has been a change in the business life of MÁK, with the start of cooperation with Károly Gerendai and the Costes Group. How does the new line-up help the restaurant develop?

Gábor Koltai: The Costes Group is a strong partner in every respect, with excellent business acumen, strong, distinctive thinking. It was very important for us to be able to maintain our concept and identity while cooperating, because we want to develop as much as possible in this area, not change, but continue to delve into the regional cuisines and traditions of the Carpathian Basin. MÁK fits well into the diverse concept of the Costes Group, it is full of energy. Károly Gerendai and the Costes group specifically want to maintain the uniqueness of MÁK. We are all happy about this and the joint work.

Once the MÁK has covered the Carpathian Basin, where will you continue your exploration?

János Mizsei: We would like to narrow down the areas we explore, focusing more on the gastronomic specifics of a given place, uncovering the treasures and memories there. The plan is to always designate a specific location and look for farmers and producers within a 40-50 kilometer radius with whom we can work to learn about the area.

Gábor Koltai: We would like to continue pushing the boundaries, to get to know certain ingredients even better, while maintaining the light and relaxed, yet high-level fine dining style that we feel is unique to MÁK.